Drying apparatus



July 22, 1924.` 1,501,966

T. B. MUNROE K DRYING APPAATUS Filed Dec. 3, 1921 Sheets-sheet 1 f m. k.. k.

July 221. 1924. 1,501,966

T. B. MUNROE DRYI'NG APPARATUS Filed Dec- 5, 1921 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 7%Zam .T. B. MUNROE DRYING APPARATUS July 22, 1924. 1,501,966

Filed Deo. 5, 1921 Y 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 A A A A A1 DI! Weadwaylunroe, by

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July 22, 1924.

"r. B. MUNROE DRYING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 3, `1991 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 atto: nu,

July 22, 1924.

T. B. MUNROE D'RYING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 5

WetEnd 9 Sheets-Sheet 'f July 22, 1924.

T. B. MUNROE DRY ING APPARATUS Filed Dec. l 1921 9 Sheets-Sheet e TdwagfBJllwr/roe, a3.

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July 22, 1924. 1,501,966

l T. aMuNRoE DRYING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 3, 1921 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 ryEncZ www Patented July 22, 1924.

UNITED STATES TREADWAY B.` MUNROE, OF

new ORLEANS. Louisiana. Asszcno'n r'ro c. r. DAHLBER.. oF NEW ORLEANS. LOUISIANA. l

- DRYING APPARATUS.

Application led December 8, 1921. Serial No. 519.748.

T o all whom. it may eminem:

' Be it known that I, 'lm-:Anivnr B. MUN- non. a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans Fraud State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and'useful Improvements in Dryingr Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full. clear, and exact description of the invention7 such as will lifenable others skilled in the artto which it appcrtains to makeand use the same.

This invention relates to dryin apparatus and has for its object to provi e a means of drying 1rrhat. is `known as heat insulating wall boards. These said boards are fed to the drier continuously and are cut oli' after4 passing therethrough. They are say 1L to 'l and in.,thick and from, say, 8 to 15 feet wide. .The object of the invention, moreV speciicallv stated. therefore, is toprovide an ellicient means of dryingV these boards in a less time than it has been possible heretofore to do.

lVith these and other objects in View.v the invention consists in the novel details of construction and combinations of parts more full).I hereiiiatter disclosed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings formingl a part of this specification. in which like numerals designate like parts in all the views:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic. sectional view I ith of a drier chamber made in accordance w this invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional detail view of an end of one of the conveyor rolls;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view partially broken away of a portion ofthe drying chamber shown in Figure l;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view partly in section illustrating the frame work and Ihe driving chains of a set. of conveyer rollers:

Figure 5 is a side elevational vien' of the parts shown in Figure 4:

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic side elevational View of one half of the complete drier; Figure 7 is a diagrammatic elevational view of that portion ofV the'complete drier which is not shown in Figure 6;

Figu

re 8 is a ldiagrammatic plan view ofa plurality of sets of upper drying coils Figure 9 is an end elevational view partially in section of a portion of the parts shown in Figure 8 with the heatingcoils 9 and 12 added thereto:

Figure 10 is a diagrammatic side eleva tional View partly in section, of the healing s stem beginning` at the Wet end of the rier;

,Figure 11 is alplan view of the part. shown in Figure 10;

Figure 12 is a continuation in elevatio of tbeparts shown in Figure 10;

Figure 13 is a continuation in plan of th parts shown in Figure 11;

Figure 14 is a continuation in elevation of the parts shown in Figure 12-and finishing 'at the dry end of the drier; and

Figure 15 is a continuation in plan of the -parts shown in Fi re 13 also ending at the dry end of the drier.

In order that this inventionmay be the better understood,V it is said: Heat'insulating wall boards are now made from fibers in continuous sheets of from say 10 to 15 feet wide and from to 1% inches thick and are cut into suitable lengths and widths as fast as they come from the drier.

These wet librous sheetsimust be dried uniformly throughout their masses and in such a way as to avoid warping, so that they will be of a uniform strength and have flat surfaces. To comply with these conditions. this invention provides a closed box likc'structure several -hundred feet lon which is supplied with air and steam coi s to dry the sheets and with means for con veying said sheets 1in continuous lengths from one end of the structure to the other, as will non' be disclosed.

Referring more particularly to Figs. l and fl. l indicates any.' suitable foundation on which are supported the uprights 2. and il represent top and bottom horizontally disposed longitudinal members tying the uprights into a rigid frame Work of several hundred feet in length. i Extending across this frame work between the Frame members 3 are the transverse beam like members 4. sec Figs. 1. 3 and 4, which support the top and bottom sides of the box like drying chamber. Supported from said beams 4 arc -the lop and bottom horizontally disposed frame members 5. located between l the vertical sides of the drying chamber and ru ning from end to end of the structure. ecrire@ to each of the vertical uprights 2 are e ailgle'bracket-s 6,v on which Dfi . dat condition free from warpings.

Below said rollers 8 is a plurality of pipe coils 9, all in a, horizontal plane which are supported upon the block members 10, see 1 and 3, and which are secured in sition by the strip like members 11.l A e said strip like members 11 are located above and below the coils 9 and extend longitudinally of the'entire drier. Likewise above the said rollers 8 is a second series of pipeV `coils 12, which are hung from .the supports 13 secured to the lo 'tudinall disposed members, and these lgid coils are likewise provided with supportin stripv like members 16, located above-an belowthe same, which members also extend from end to end of the drying chamber, as will be clear from the drawings.

Suitable stiien' in the angles form by'the 4members 3 and 4 and secured to the uprights 2, as shown in Figs; 1, 3, 4 and 5. Secured aroundthe en- .tire outside of the frame work 'ust' described and rom end to end theieo are the heatinsulatin slabs or-.boards 18, which may be made o asbestos,r of other suitable material such as the heat insulatin material known on lthe marketas Celotex, which it is intended to dry by this invention.

In order to bodily move the fibrous wet boards from end to end of the ydrying chamber formed by the construction now dis-- closed, conveyer rolls 8 are provided at one end with the sprockets iloveiwhich passes a sprocket chain 21, whic being of a rather long length is also paed over the guide sprockets 22, scecFig. 5, and the looped por tion 23 between said sprockets is provided with a third-s 'rocket 24 to which the wei ht 25 is att-ached? thus providin a means or kee tight said sprocket c ain or belt 21 un er all conditions ias will beclear from Figs. 4and 5. Since the entire drying chamber is several hundred feet long and since it is impracticable to operate a single sprocket chain over such a distance, the conveyer rolls 8 are divided into four sections, seo

Figs. 6 and 7, and'a separate chain 21 and its co-acting parts are providedfor each section. The driving sprocket 26 for each section is mounted on a shaft l2'? supported in bearin 28 carrying at its outer end the large riving sprocket 29 over which passes the driving chain 30 driven from the-sprocket brackets 1'( are 31 mounted on the shaft 32 carrying the worm wheel 33 meshing with the worm 34 rigid wththe shaft 35, all as is best shown in Fig. 5. Said shaft 35 extends substantially from end to end ofthe drying chamber, so that it has a worm 34 for each section 'of c'onveyer rolls, and is driven from a l,suitable motor 36, sce Fig. 7.

The heating system comprises the hi reseure steam pipe 40, see Fi 9, and t e ow pressure steam pipe 41. he connection 42 from said pipe 40 having the valve 43 leads to the pipe 44. and the connection 45having the valve 46 leads from said pipe 41, lalso to said pipe 44. The .high pressure pipe 40 and -low pressure pipe 41 extend from end toend of the drier as eeen in Figs. 10 to 15, and there are a plurality of connec` tions 42 and 45 tapped od from said high and low pressure pipes'respectvely, to feed correspondin 'pipes 44, which latter in turn feed a plura ity of sets of heating coils 9 and 12 located at intervals from end to end of the drier, all as will be clear from what follows, taken 'in' connection with Figs. 8 i015.

That is to say, as best shown in Figs. 8 and 49, the ipe-44 fe'eds the connections 46 and 47 jleadmg to the heating coils 12 and 9 respectively and similar connections are had 9 with each 1f-the other sets of coils 12 and 9, throughout the len h of the drier, as will be clear from the rawings.

Each set of coils 9 and 12 is also provided l with the drain co nections 49 and 48 rel spectvely which lead into the common drain pipe 50, see Figs. 8, 10, l2 and 14.

Alongside the drain pipe 50 is a pipe 51,' which is conveniently connected to the pipe 50, through the vulve 52 by the joint 53, sce i Fi 10, and 'which-thus supplies hot water to he boiler feed or for any other desired purpose.

In addition to the heating system described above, this drier is provided with l a hot air svstcm which will now be. disclosed.

'At suitable stations 55, 56, 57 and 58, see

Figs. 1'1, 13 and l5, are located fans 60, 61, 62 and 63 respectively, which suck air throu h the steam heated coils 64, 65, 66, l

and 6 respectively, and force it through the conduits' 68, 69` A70 and 71 respectively into the drier chamber below and above the sets of coils 9 and 12, all as will be clear from- 11, 13 and 15. The air thus forced 1 betwee the various sets of coils 9 and 12 'by the respectivefans escapes from the drying chamber through the passages or venti-A lators, 72, 73, 74, and 75 respectively and thus does the air travel in a direction op 1:'

posite to that ofthe conveyer.

The air heating steam coils 64, 65, 66 and 67 are supplied with steam from the live .steam pipes 4G and 41, throughjthe respeotive connections 6 and 77,

The operation of this drier may he summarized as follows: The wet end of the drying chamber, see Fi s. l, 10 and ll, is joined as at 80 with the de ivery end, not shown, of the liber board making machine, and the wi-i. pulpy sheets of board material 81, sce Fig. l. several feet wide and from say tr l and i inches thick, are received on the conveying rollers 8, which are divided into sets, and each set kept in a continuous rotation by separate sprocket chains 21 throughout the len 'th of the 'drier. Each sprocket chain 21 is kept tightby a loop 23 and weight 25, and is driven by a master sprocket chain' 30, each deriving its 'power from a. shaft and worm and gearconnec'- tions 11, 33,'as best shown in 5, 6 and 7, W'hile the power shaft' 35 extends from t end of the drier and derives, its power fromlhe motor 36,'see``jg. 'A7, 4 j

Throughout the length ofV the dr'ying chamber there. isprovided v4a plurality of sets of lower st'ea'ni` coi'lslg, an a plurality of sets of upper steamcoils"12,see`vFigs. l, 8, 9, and 10 to 15.-. These lsets of coils 9 and 12 are fed from a high pressure' steam pipe .40, as well'as from aflow pressure 'steam pipe,41, so that the Vtemperature in the drying chamber can befregu'lated'to 'suit the .weather as wellas Ither'characteil of the liber boards.v dried.` ,',Ifliatis to say, as will be, elearifrormj FgsjB, aand-1o if a velg hightelxperature is desired in the said rying chamber the valves 46, Fig. 9, will baclosedfor each setof `coils 9 and 12, ,and ithevalves 43 opened, whereupon high pressure steam will pass through the connections r4:4, 46 and 47 associated witl said sets of coils,'and will be drained out at the other end of each coilinto the pipe 50 through the connections 48 and 49 associated with the draining ends of said coils.

`On the other hand, if a low temperature is desired in the' sets of coils 9 and l2, the valves 43 are closed and the valves 46 o ened, whereupon low pressure steam wil pass from 41 through the connections just descri into said coils 9 and 12 and out the drain connections into said ipe 50. If intermediate tem eratures are drieslred, it is evident that a suitable manipulation of the valves 48 and 46 will so re late the flow of steam Ain any one or in4 al the coil sections as to provide any rate of drying reuired. The valves 90, see Fig. 9` enable t e operatorA to cut out any set of coils for.

repairs or to so throttle the steam as to produce any desired temperature.

- The wet. pulpy sheets of material beingr thus received at the Wet end of the drier, are slowly conveyed by the rollers 8 in the mannerzdisclosed between ythe upper and low sets of heated .coils 12 and 9 vtrom said wet end tothe dry end of the chamber illustrated in' Figf?, The drying chamber heilig several hundrid tectlong the rate of travel nl the sheets being dried is so regulated as lo cause [hem to be perfectly dry when they reach said d end. Accordingly. said dried sheets' are received on a suitable platform at' said dry end and prepared for shipment.

An in'lportani feature of the invention resides in the hot air system which supplies hot air from the fans 60, 61, 62 and (i3. This air in each section is drawn through a healer 04, (i5. 66, or 67 associated with its correL sponding section, and is blown b v its fan from the rear end of its section to its forward end, so that the air travels in a. direction opposite to lthe travel of the fiber hoard,

until it inally escapes at the ventilators T2, 73. 74 or T5, thus exerting a maximum drying efficiency on the boards.

92, Fig. 1, represents a transparent window placed at intervals 'along the drier to -facilitate an inspection of the drying operation.

It will now be clear that this drier enables one to pass continuously from a liber board makingmachme a Wet pulpy sheet 81.0f. say, 10 or 15 feet in widthto the drying chamber, and to continuously dry this travcling sheet over a length of several hundred..

feet in such a manner that. the forward Vend.

will be finished drying while' the portion entering the drying chamber is beginning to dry, so that the dried end portion may be cut oil' into suitable lengths and split up into suitable widths (by mechanism not shown) as fast as it lea es the drying,r chamber. The ballbearings 19 re important in this invention, for they enable the wet sheet having very little strength to be pushed by some of the rollers and tobe pulled h v others of the rollers without danger of buckling or tearing the very heavy traveling sheet. The hot water pipe 51, Fig. l0, conserves the great quantity of heat left in the condensed steam, and thus reduces the cost of the process.

As best shown in Figs. 5 and il. a portion of the rollers 8 located near the. ivet end of the chamber` are not provided with sprockets 20. In fact, the rollers `at the Wet endare located very close together to support the weak andvery wet board. while only every other roller is positively driven to prevent tearing or injuring said board. As the dry end of the chamber is approached, however, the board gets stronger and stronger, so the rollers are spaced farther and farther apart, and each one is positively driven1 all as will be clear from Figs. 5, 6 and 7.

What is claimed is: 1. In a' drier for heat insulating fiber boards, the combination of a frame work; a plurality of sets of conveyer rollers mounted for rotation in said Vframe work; a separate driving means for each set of rollers com- 35 as described chain.; a wer shaft for driving a plurality of said riving chains; a plurality of sets iof steam coils associated with said conveyer rollers; and means to admit high pressureV I cr low pressure steam at will into each. set

of coils, substantially as described.

2. In a. drier for heat insulatingr ber boards, the combination of a frame work; a

. plurality of sets ofconveyer rollers mounted l l# worm lconnections for driving a plurality of said driving chains; a plurality of sets of steam coils associated with said conveyer rollers; and means to admit high pressure or low pressuresteam at v'will into'each set of coils, substantially as described.

3. In a drier Y for heat- 'nsulating ber A boards, the combinationfof a frame work ;v a plurality of sets of conveyor rollers mounted for rotation in said framework; a separate driving means foreach set of rollers cornprising a. driving 'and a driven sprocket chain a power shaft for driving a plurality of said driving chains; a plurality of sets'of steam coils associated with said conveyer $0 rollers; meansfor enclosing said rollers and coils ina lieat insulating chamber; means to blow air intoi said chamber; and means to admit high pressure or low pressure steam at will into each set of coils; substantially 4. -In a drier for -heat insulating ber boards, the combination of a frame work; a lurality of sets of conveyer rollersA mounted or rotation in said frame-work; a separate 4o driving means for each set of rollers comprlsingsprocketson said rollers and a drv lng and a driven sprocket chain; a power shaft for driving a plurality of sa driving chains; a. plurality of sets of steam coils associated with said conveyer rollers; means for forcing hot air over said rollers and coils; means constituting a chamber for confining said` air; and means to admit high pressure or low pressure steam atl will into each set of coils, substantially as described.

5. In a drier for heat insulating fiber boards, the combination of a series of roller conveyers located relatively close to each otheiat the wet end of the vmachine and progressive] farther apart as the other end of said mac ine is reached; a plurality of driving means for driving a lurality of sections of said rollers; a plurality of heating means disposed adjacent to said rollers;

and means for supplyingair to said rollers,

j' substantially as described.

6. In a drier for heat insulating fiber boards, the combination 0f a series of roller conveyers located relatively close to each lloV other at the wet end of the machine and progressively farther apart as theother end of said machine is reached; ball bearings for -said rollers; a plurality of driving means comprising a master .sprocket chain and driving sprocket for driving a pluralheating means comprising upper and lov'ver .T0 ity of sections of said rollers; a plurality of heating coils disposed axhacent to said rollersand means for sup lyn air to'said rollers, substantially as 8. In a. drier for heat` insulating liber boards, the combination of a frame work' heat insulating materialA forming a drying chamber supported by said frame work; a

plurality o conveyor and mounted for rotationjoaa said 4 frame work in said chamber; driving means for rotating the rollers in all the sets; a single powerv shaft for operatingl all of said driving means; aplurallty'of sets of heat' ing coils located 1n said chamberin close roximity to said rollers;\means for re ating the temperature of said coils;l a a plurality of fans for supplying air to said chamber, substantially as escribed.

9. In a drier for heat insulating liber boards,`the combination of a frame; work; heat insulating material forming a drying chamber su ported by said frame work; a plurality cip sets of rollers variably s aoed constituting a conveyor and mount for rotation on said 'ame work in said chamber; driving means comprising sprockets carried by said rollers and sprocket chains passing over said sprockets for rotating the rollers in said sets; a' single power shaft for operating all of said driving means; a plurality of sets of heating coils located in said chamber in close 'proximity to said rollers: means for regulating the temperature of said coils; and a plurality of fans f or .supplying air to said chamber, substantially as described. l

10. In a drier for heat insulating liber boards, the combination of a frame Work; heat insulating material forming a, drying chamber supported by said fr ame work; a plurality .of sets of rollers constituting a. eonveyer and mounted'or rotation on said frame work in said chamber; driving means for rotating the rollers 4in said set; a single power shaft for operating all of said driving sets of rollers constituting a V means; a plurality of sets of heating coils located in said chamber in close proximity to said rollers; high and low pressure steam connections to each coil; drain connections fromeach coil; means for regulating the temperature of Said coils; and a plurality ofxfans and ain heating means for supplying hot air to said chamber, substantially as described.

11. In a drier for heat. insulating fiber boards, the combination of a plurality of conveyor rollers on which said boards may rest; means for rotating said rollers; means for heating said rollers; and means for supplying air to the boards on' said rollers While 1n motion.

12. In a drier for heat insulatiny fiber boards, the combination of a plura ty of conveyor rollers on which said boards may rest; meanv for rotating said rollers; means for heating said rollers; means for supply ing air to the boards on said rollers while in motion; and an enclosing casing for said rollers and heating means.

13. In a drier for heat insulatin fiber boards, the combination of a plnra ity of conveyor rollers on which said boards may rest; means comprising a power driven sprocket chain for rotating said rollers: means for heating said rollers; means for supplying air to the boards on said rollers while in motion: and a heat insulated en closure surrounding said rollers and boards while the latter are being dried.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

TREADWAY B. MONROE. 

